The first week of the 2026-27 NBA season is basically over, and already a few teams look different from what most people expected. The sample size is obviously tiny, but that does not mean there are no early signs worth paying attention to. The best way to look at Week One is not by pretending we already know who is winning the championship, but by seeing which teams actually gave us something concrete to work with.
The Pistons Still Look Like A Real Problem
Detroit opening the season by beating Boston was not impressive just because of the final score. The Pistons were down 22 points in the second half and somehow still turned the game completely around, going on a 23-0 run before winning 121-113. Jalen Duren finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Cade Cunningham added 22 points and eight assists, which is a pretty good example of why Detroit still looks like one of the harder teams in the East to deal with.
Philadelphia Might Actually Make This Weird Roster Work
The 76ers were always going to be one of the strangest teams to watch because LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown all need the ball in different ways. Opening night at least showed that the offense can function without everybody fighting for the same possessions. Maxey scored 28 points; Brown had 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists; and LeBron added 14 points with nine rebounds and seven assists. Philadelphia still beat the defending champion Knicks 106-100 at Madison Square Garden.
Oklahoma City Still Looks Like The Safest Team In The League
Oklahoma City may somehow be even more annoying this season because they already showed they do not need Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to have a huge scoring night every time. The Thunder beat Denver 96-84 even though Shai scored only 17 points, ending his ridiculous streak of 141 straight games with at least 20. Beating a Nikola Jokić team while your best scorer has an average night is probably one of the better early signs a contender can give you.
Washington Might Actually Be Competent
Washington has been one of the easiest teams in the league to ignore over the last few years, but this roster already makes more sense. Trae Young has someone reliable to play off now, and Anthony Davis immediately showed what that can look like by scoring 34 points with 12 rebounds in his Wizards debut. Trae added 20 points and 13 assists, and Washington beat Milwaukee 128-116 while scoring 38 points in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers Look Much More Comfortable
The Lakers came out looking much more comfortable than Golden State and then backed it up against the Clippers. Los Angeles opened the season with a 127-105 win over the Warriors and followed it with a 125-117 win over the Clippers, giving them a 2-0 start before Sunday’s game against Utah. Two games is not enough to crown anyone, but scoring 252 points across the first two games is at least enough to say the offense looks functional early.
Golden State Already Has A Problem
Golden State starting 0-2 is not the end of the world, but the way the losses happened is more interesting than the record itself. The Warriors lost by 22 to the Lakers and then followed that with a 111-108 loss to Memphis. They are a team already dealing with the obvious age conversation around its core. So, opening the season with back-to-back losses while allowing 127 points in Game One is exactly the kind of start that is going to make people question how much is left.
Atlanta Delivered The Biggest Beatdown
Atlanta beating Charlotte was not the surprising part. Winning 128-81 was. The Hawks completely embarrassed Charlotte by 47 points. All five Atlanta starters finished in double figures while the Hornets committed 25 turnovers. That is not enough to tell us Atlanta is suddenly elite, but a 47-point road win is definitely enough to say the Hawks came into the season ready.
The Knicks Already Got Their Reality Check
The Knicks entered opening night with the championship banner going up and all the attention that comes with being defending champions. Philadelphia immediately ruined the party. New York lost 106-100 at home, and that matters more because the Sixers were introducing an almost completely new star combination at the same time. The defending champs getting beaten at Madison Square Garden on ring night is probably the cleanest reminder that last season’s title means absolutely nothing once the next one starts.
Charlotte Might Be In For A Long Year
Charlotte has already given us one of the ugliest performances of the season. Losing by 47 at home is bad enough, but turning the ball over 25 times makes it look even worse. The Hornets were booed by their own crowd during the loss to Atlanta, and that is a rough place to be only a few games into the season.
End Of My Week One Rant
The first week has already given us enough weirdness to make the season interesting. Detroit erased a 22-point deficit. Philadelphia beat the defending champions on ring night. Oklahoma City held Denver to 84 points, and Washington got 54 combined points from Anthony Davis and Trae Young in their opener.
The biggest thing I am watching is whether these early signs continue once the sample gets larger.
Right now, Detroit looks tougher than people expected, Philadelphia’s star experiment actually works, Oklahoma City still looks terrifying and Washington finally looks like a real basketball team.
That is already enough chaos for one week.
